Shinden Asagi

This is an uncommon stone, at least to me it’s uncommon.
Most Jnats from Shinden that I’ve come across have been Suita; and they are
quite nice. Shinden Suita have been said to be 2nd only to those
quarried at Okudo.

When I had an opportunity to get my hands on this one, I
jumped. This was the 1st piece of Shinden Tomae that I have ever
seen.

The feel, or feedback, on this stone is lovely. Very silky
with a great sense of glide but with enough friction so you can read it well.
Even though this isn’t a full size Toishi, it is a good size Koppa that’s easy
to use hand-held or on the bench.

This Shinden has been sealed with cashew lacquer on the
sides and bottom, for added strength and waterproofing. The top was lapped 2x
to assure flatness and the edges along the top have been chamfered. The top is
graced with a light diagonal striped pattern that shows well when wet.

This is a hard stone, but not super hard, and it has a nice
quality to the hardness that seems to allow some ‘give’ that adds a nice
tactile sensation to the feedback; I’ve noticed this with some of the ‘drier’
hard stones, some Kiita from Namito layer for example.

The edges from this Asagi Koppa have been exceptional, not
the keenest of the keen but still very sharp and uber comfortable. I think with
continued use I will find that this stone harbors some hidden talents that I
have not yet revealed. This one seems to me somewhat complex, not unlike some
of the older-mined stones from Nakayama, Shobudani and Narutaki that I’ve
experienced.